Diagnosis of diabetes in Moscow up to European standards with increasingly more people diagnosed at an early stage

Diagnosis in Moscow of people with diabetes has almost reached the same rate as that of European countries: there are two diagnosed patients per one undiagnosed. The Moscow level of diagnostics is 1.5 times higher than the average in Russia. Last year, endocrinology departments saw over 21,000 patients with diabetes, which is 15 percent higher than in 2016, due to the fact that type 2 diabetes is diagnosed more often.

“Diagnosed diabetes is when patients visit a hospital regularly and then get treatment. However, there is undiagnosed diabetes too. In such cases it continues without people actually knowing that they have the disease. And this leads to serious complications. This situation is characteristic of type 2 diabetes. It is important to know that everyone aged 40 plus who has a high blood sugar level and is overweight, or has close relatives with diagnosed diabetes, must visit a local polyclinic and carry out tests every year,” said Mikhail Antsyferov, chief endocrinologist at the Moscow Department of Healthcare.

At Moscow polyclinics, patients in a risk group are screened to determine their blood sugar level. If the disease if diagnosed, people in Moscow get help in three stages. First of all, primary medical help, which is provided by therapists and GPs. The second and third stages are provided at endocrinology departments. In addition, during an examination doctors might find prediabetes: a border case, which usually precedes diabetes. If the diagnosis is made in time, doctors can help prevent the disease progressing.

“Giving patients information is very important when it comes to treating anyone with diabetes successfully. In Moscow medical institutions, people are taught how to manage the progress of the disease by themselves. They are invited to diabetes patient schools which have been opened at 24 Moscow polyclinics. There are an additional three schools at the endocrinology medical centre at 37 Prechistenka Street. There also are special places for patients with diabetic foot. If someone with this goes to visit a doctor on time further progression of the disease is likely to be arrested,” the press service of the Moscow Department of Healthcare reports.

Moscow also keeps a register of people with diabetes. It allows doctors to receive all the information required on the incidence of the disease and any further complications taking place. The death rate, the structure of drug therapy and what sort of medication someone needs is all recorded.

The early stage of diabetes is often diagnosed during a planned clinical examination. All patients aged 40 plus must go for blood sugar tests.

The information service “Moscow Healthcare Navigator” provides personal recommendations on preventive examinations in 2018. By entering the year of birth and gender into this system, it shows information on which tests must be carried out as part of the first stage of this year’s clinical examination and what diseases it can find. These recommendations differ for men and women.